INDEPENDENT NEWS &Media (IN&M) is considering taking legal action against Associated Newspapers following the Irish Mail on Sunday's decision to run a special edition of the Sunday Tribunewith many of its newspapers last weekend without permission.

The company is also planning to make a complaint to National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) and will seek to have Associated expelled from the body. The matter is expected to be raised at NNI’s board meeting next week.

INM owns 29.9 per cent of the Sunday Tribuneand pulled its financial support from the company last week, appointing Jim Luby as its receiver.

Mr Luby is seeking a new investor for the title, which is not being published for the four-week period of the receivership. INM is also the Tribune’s biggest creditor, being owed about €40 million.

INM believes Associated's decision to print about 25,000 copies of the edition of the Sunday Tribunelast weekend could potentially have damaged the receiver's search for an investor.

INM is also looking at the legality of the Mail on Sunday using the Sunday Tribunemasthead without its permission.

A spokesman for INM said: “No final decision has been made on potential legal action against Associated Newspapers. We are currently examining our options and will communicate formally with Associated Newspapers office in London in due course.”

Calls to the Mail’s offices yesterday seeking comment were not returned. The paper has described its move as a “marketing exercise” to encourage readers of the Tribune to switch to its title.